Written by Bernice Trick
Citizen staff
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Friday, 06 November 2009 |
H1N1 flu clinics are scheduled to continue in Prince George Monday and Tuesday, but will not operate on Wednesday during Remembrance Day.
Northern Health expects to have enough flu vaccine for the priority groups scheduled the week of Nov. 9, said Eryn Collins, communications officer.
That includes all high-risk priority groups: people under 65 who have chronic conditions; pregnant women in the second half of their pregnancy; people in remote areas, children aged six months to less than five years of age; health-care workers, caregivers of infants less than six months of age and those who have weak immune systems.
Clinics are scheduled the weeks of Nov. 16 and 23 for all other people who wish to be immunized.
The clinics, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., are at 325 Brunswick St. in the former Synovate and K-Mart building.
Collins noted that people reading national advertising on Canada's H1N1 immunization campaign, such as was published in Friday's Citizen, need to realize there are different schedules in different areas.
"Our schedule in Northern Health is different from the Lower Mainland which began sooner, and some areas in the Interior Health Authority have yet to begin clinics," said Collins, who encourages people to go by local information or call 811 or 250- 565-7488 in Prince George.
During a teleconference Friday from Vancouver Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C. health officer, explained why seniors more than 65 years of age are not included in top priority groups.
"Those born before 1957 have increased resistance (that has built up over the years) and we know that less than two per cent of cases worldwide are seniors over 65."
Kendall, noting about 800,000 British Columbians have been vaccinated (from a population of about 4.5 million), said the province has ordered enough vaccine for every resident in the province, but urged those delivering the shots to "manage it so none goes to waste."
He said shot-giving in doctors offices, for example, should be scheduled in groups so all vaccine is used.
Speaking of hockey teams jumping the queue to get the vaccine, Kendall said letters have been sent to all sports organizations in the province requesting them not to ask for preference in getting vaccinations, "and the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons is doing the same."
btrick@pgcitizen.ca
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Last Updated ( Friday, 06 November 2009 )
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